


One bad decision...

by QueenyClairey



Series: SHFallFic 2019: Scary Stories [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Bisexual Magnus Bane, Closeted Character, Creepy, Fear, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Memory Loss, SHFallFic, Scary, Terror, archer Alec, everything is not what it seems, hit on the head, kiss, separated, spooky house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-16 14:42:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20845505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenyClairey/pseuds/QueenyClairey
Summary: Magnus and Alec are best friends. Alec is desperate to carry out the Senior dare to try and gain the respect of the juniors including his sister and brother. He ropes his best friend in to come with him.But when they reach the house, all is not as it seems and maybe Magnus will have to make a decision that will change his life forever?This is prompt 1 from SHFallFic - Bad Decisions Were Made“Alec? Can you hear me? Alec please!” Magnus wailed, lifting his best friend’s lifeless hand, searching for a pulse. “Alec you can’t leave me! Please don’t leave me! I love you Alexander! Please!”





	One bad decision...

Bad decisions were made

_ “Alec? Can you hear me? Alec please!” Magnus wailed, lifting his best friend’s lifeless hand, searching for a pulse. “Alec you can’t leave me! Please don’t leave me! I love you Alexander! Please!”_

\-------

“What do you mean it’s _only_ a murder house, Alexander?” Magnus asked, face aghast as he stared at his best friend.

“Exactly what I said, Magnus!” Alec drawled, rolling his eyes as he notched an arrow, drew back the string and let it fly. He grunted as it hit the target dead centre and then turned back to face Magnus, eyes lingering on the dark kohl around his eyes. His bestie was always badgering him to let him make him up, but Alec really wasn’t keen about having ‘all that shit’ all over his face. “Come on Magnus, it’s a senior dare, we can’t not do it or we’ll get no respect from the juniors this year!”

“You think they respect us anyway?” Magnus asked as he watched him notch another arrow, his fingers flying through the motions.

“Well, I thought a few of them might…” Alec grunted as yet another of his shots hit the bullseye. 

Magnus flicked a stripe of blue hair out of his eyes as he grabbed his friend’s arm and turned him around to face him. “Izzy and Jace definitely don’t and they’re the big influencers this year, so there’s really no point in doing this. It won’t change anything.”

Alec stared at him, fingers itching to reach out and sweep back the lock of hair that was resting on Magnus’ forehead. 

“Who’s that little redhead who’s always following you around? She respects you and she’s got a few good friends in Year 12 who we could sway onto our side. If we do this and prove we’re not a pair of wusses, then we’ll be well respected by them all!”

“Oh come on Alexander!” Magnus exclaimed, whirling away from him and absentmindedly picking up one of his arrows, running his fingers down the length of it. “I’m not spending the night in Idris Manor just so Biscuit and her friends think I’m cool. It’s a freaky place, and people already think I’m cool anyway, if you hadn’t noticed! People at school love me!”

Alec snatched the arrow from his hand, slipping it into his quiver as he began to pack up his things. As he stalked away to the target to grab the rest of his arrows, he called over his shoulder, “Whatever, Magnus! Come with me and...and I’ll let you do my make up for the Halloween dance!”

Magnus froze, eyes lingering on Alec’s ass as he bounced away. (What? It was a sexy ass!) Then he registered his words. “Oh my god!” he shouted, chasing after his friend, “Really? Do you mean that?” He leaped onto Alec’s back, wrapping his arms and legs around him, “You have _so_ got yourself a deal, Alexander! Oh my god! At last! It’s only taken three years of trying to persuade you. You are the best!”

Alec grinned as he flipped Magnus’ arms from around his neck, dropping him to the floor and then spun around to face him, “One condition, Magnus. I want to look good, no fake blood!” 

Magnus pouted a little, and then reached up to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Okay, okay, no fake blood. I’ll make you look so sexy all the girls will be chasing you!”

Alec coughed, hand coming up to his face as he whirled away, reaching to tug the last of his arrows from the target, “Sure,” he muttered.

“You won’t regret this Alexander,” Magnus told him, sliding a hand up his arm to rest on his shoulder, “Now don’t make me regret going to this murdery house place with you either! What supplies do I need to bring? Text me!”

Then he spun away in a whirlwind of glitter and brightly coloured fabric, leaving Alec on the archery field gazing after him. The words, “I don’t want to look good for the girls, I want to look good for you!” still stuck in his head. 

\------

Later that night, when he told Izzy and Jace about his plans, they were pretty surprised. 

“Who’d have thought our straight laced brother would go off and do something like this?!” Jace asked as he flopped onto Alec’s bed. 

“Oh come on Jace, you know it’s a flimsy excuse to get some girl from his class alone in the dark, somewhere spooky where Alec can be the hero...right big brother?” Izzy giggled as she watched him scoop up things into his duffle bag. 

“Not at all. Nothing like that. I’m doing this for the glory, Iz! I’m not taking some pathetic girl with me, I’m taking Magnus!” He bent down to pick up a warm sweater and missed the looks his brother and sister exchanged behind his back. 

“Magnus?” Jace asked, uncertainty in his voice, “Why would you take Magnus?”

Alec didn’t even turn to face them as he defended his decision, “Because he’s my best friend and is the only person I trust to have my back on a mission like this!”

“Mission!” Isabelle laughed, chucking a pair of balled up socks at her older brother’s head. “Jeez Alec, you’re not in the army yet.”

“Don’t remind me.” Alec replied stiffening up as his mind flicked over to next year and the expectations his parents had for him. He hadn’t told Magnus yet. He was planning to do it tonight when they were alone at Idris Manor. Hopefully his friend wouldn’t freak out too much. 

He dragged his old duffle bag off the floor and flung it onto the bed, almost knocking his brother off it. “Oh my god!” Jace exclaimed as he bounced around, “What on earth is in the bag?”

“Just a few things we’re going to need to survive the night.” Alec replied, zipping it up and then reaching down into his bottom drawer to pull out his Swiss army knife. 

“Well I hope you’ve got vodka and condoms!” Jace laughed as he grabbed the knife from Alec and flicked out the nail file, running it back and forth across his thumb. 

“Why would I need those?” Alec asked, face lit with confusion as he grabbed the knife from Jace and jammed it into his pocket. 

But Jace didn’t answer, it was Isabelle who replied. “Well, the vodka to keep you warm of course,” she replied, “And condoms...well you can never be too prepared big brother! You never know who you’re going to meet in the manor tonight. I’ve heard the senior girls are planning to head out there soon, so you and Magnus might meet some babes looking to score!”

She cackled as she pulled a carrier bag from behind her back and thrust it at her brother. Inside was a jumbo box of condoms, a bottle of lube and a fifth of vodka. 

Alec stared into the bag, aghast. He couldn’t believe his sister and was about to tell her so, when there was a little knock at his door and Magnus made his presence known.

“Hello annoying brother, annoying sister.” he laughed, stepping in and reaching out for the bag in Alec’s hands. “Ooo what have you got here? Supplies? You know you never did tell me what to bring after all…”

He trailed off as he pulled out the jumbo box of condoms, a grin forming on his face. “Why Alexander, I didn’t know you were looking to score tonight. Have you invited someone else too, cos I’m not third wheeling!”

“They’re a present from us, Magnus!” Isabelle said, grabbing the package from Magnus’ hands and tearing off the plastic. She opened the box and slipped a couple of foil wrapped condoms from it and chucked one to Jace. “There, now you’ve got twenty-two, Alec! You can bang half the girls in the senior class if they show up! About time you got your rocks off!”

“Isabelle!” Alec growled menacingly. It was the growl he used when the archers in his freshman team weren’t listening and it usually had a good impact. He saw his sister flinch. Good! He thought. 

“Well, irritating young lady,” Magnus drawled, “You have a lot to say today, don’t you. Now, thanks for the gifts, but it’s time for you two to scoot. Alexander and I have a mission to prep for!”

Jace and Izzy scooted out of the room, Jace muttering that he would cover with their parents as they left. 

“Alexander, are you nearly ready? It’s a little ways to the manor, so we should leave soon.” Magnus suggested as he stuffed Isabelle’s gifts into the rucksack he had brought. 

“Yeah, I’m ready. But why are you bringing those?”

“You never know what we might need if we are confronted by a ghoulie, darling!” Magnus laughed and then grabbed his best friend’s hand and tugged him out the bedroom door and down the stairs. 

\-----

The drive to the manor took almost an hour, and when they got there, Alec insisted on parking a little ways down the hill, making Magnus trek the last part up to the house. 

It had turned cold and his best friend was shivering a little, so Alec pulled him close and wrapped an arm around him.

“Thanks Alexander,” Magnus said, teeth chattering too as he snuggled into his friend’s side. 

The gate of the manor was old and iron. There were two heavy padlocks wrapped around the metal bars and there was no way to move them. Alec did try for a few minutes but they were rusted shut and there was no chance of getting either of them off. 

“I guess we’re climbing,” he said at last, pulling off his bag and throwing it over the fence. He reached out to grab Magnus’, but his best friend shook his head. 

“No way, Alexander, the vodka’s in here and it’s freaking cold! I can’t rely on you to be my personal heater all night, darling, we’ll need to drink a little bit at some point.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Alec muttered as he bent to make a cradle for Magnus to step into. 

“What was that sweetheart? I couldn’t hear you above the sudden howling wind that has just begun. How come that always happens when you arrive somewhere spooky like this?”

But Alec didn’t reply, merely held out his hands for Magnus, who stepped into them and then used Alec’s momentum to launch himself towards the top of the gate, gripping the metal and hauling himself over it. Alec followed him up, long body easily reaching for the top. 

When they were both safely on the other side, Alec flicked on his torch as all of the light seemed to suddenly vanish.

“This is getting a little spooky Alexander,” Magnus admitted, voice small as he tucked himself more deeply into Alec’s side.

Secretly Alec agreed, but he couldn’t possibly tell Magnus that as this had been his idea in the first place, plus spooky night equalled Magnus hugs. “You get to do my make-up Magnus. For a school dance. Come on, you know you want to!”

Both boys were equally afraid as they stepped carefully down the overgrown path, the weak light from Alec’s torch showing them the best way. 

Eventually, after a few near misses where one or the other had stumbled, they reached the stone steps up to the front door.

These too were overgrown with weeds, making it hard to see the grey stone beneath. But what they could see, thankfully, were the metal spikes sticking up intermittently between the plants. 

“This doesn’t look safe, Alexander,” Magnus whispered from where he was continuing to clutch Alec’s arm. 

“I know. Maybe there’s another way in?” Alec suggested, shining the torch beyond the house and around the side.

But there was nothing but a wall of darkness. The light couldn’t penetrate it and it sent shivers through Magnus.

“I don’t think I like this, Alec,” he admitted in a small voice, and Alec could tell he was serious. His best friend never called him Alec unless he was truly afraid.

“Okay. Okay. Then we’ll go back, okay? I don’t care what people think. We came here. We can always spend the night in your car and just tell Jace and Izzy we spent it here?”

“Yes, okay. Let’s go, quickly!” Magnus agreed, shivering as the cold wind began to blow more forcefully, whipping Magnus’ long coat around his legs.

They started to step away from the house, clinging to each other against the cold. 

But as they moved, Magnus gasped in shock as something grabbed his leg. “Alec!” he yelled, gripping onto his friend with all his strength. 

Alec twisted his body, trying to keep hold of Magnus, but whatever was pulling him was stronger than even his muscular archer’s arms. 

He lost the battle and felt him being ripped away, the vodka bottle in his backpack clanging against the stones as he was dragged from his grip.

“Magnus!” He yelled, shining the torch frantically. But there was no sign of him. There wasn’t a sound either.

The wind had stopped blowing. There was no more clanging of the bottle. Even the cold air felt like it had receded. Above him, the moon popped out from behind a cloud and a soft warm glow lit up the house.

But there was no sign of Magnus. 

\-----  
Alec had searched around the whole of the grounds of the house. With the moon out, he could see more clearly and it wasn’t half as creepy as it had been before. 

In front of him, the cold stone steps to the house were still overgrown. But the sharp metal that they had seen sticking out, was not as deadly looking, nor as impossible to climb over as it had seemed before. 

Alec was well aware that going into the house on his own was not the safest choice. But Magnus was nowhere to be found and he wouldn’t leave his friend behind.

He had checked the gates, but they were still firmly rusted shut, and Magnus wasn’t tall enough to get over them by himself, nor had he been pulled in that direction, which meant he must have gone into the house.

Alec’s ideas were confirmed when he climbed up the steps at last. The main doors to the house, with broken glass panels and rotting wood, were wide open. 

He stepped through, not sure what to expect. But the moonlight continued to offer him a good view of the house. In front of him, Alec held out both his flashlight and his phone, the torch function lit up, as he stepped further in.

Of course he had tried to call Magnus, but his phone had been out of service, as was his own. So he decided to take a quick look, and then if there were no signs of him, he would head to Magnus’ car and try and get a signal. 

In the hall of the house was a grand sweeping staircase. It separated into two curls of steps, each one headed to a different floor of the house. In places, the stairs looked rotten, and Alec decided to leave them for last. If he had to go upstairs to find his friend, he wanted to be certain he had checked everywhere else thoroughly first. 

Alec looked left, then right, weighing up his options. His fingers itched for his bow and quiver, but of course he didn’t have them to hand, so he reached into his duffle bag and slid out the Swiss army knife, flicking it open to produce the sharpest of the implements. 

Holding it out in front of him with his light, he stepped towards the left, hand shaking slightly.

\-----

Magnus shrieked as he was dragged from Alexander’s grasp. Something strong was wrapped around his waist and chest and he couldn’t fight it off. 

He tried to kick out and use his arms to punch at his attacker, but he couldn’t maneuver his body when his arms and torso were incapacitated, so instead, he conserved his energy and let them drag him away. 

When they finally stopped pulling him, he still couldn’t move, or speak, as a gag was thrust around his head and rope around his arms and legs. Then he was picked up effortlessly, like his attacker was some kind of strong man, and thrown onto a mattress. 

He couldn’t see anything, but he knew it was some kind of bed as he was bounced around. 

He tried to struggle, tried to scream, but he was unable to do anything when a blindfold was wrapped around his ears and eyes and he was plunged into total darkness, all his senses screaming as they were cut off. 

The only thing he**could** sense was the disgusting, musty smell of rotting wood. 

\------

Alec found himself in some kind of kitchen. It didn’t have a sink or stove, but he could see spaces where they once had stood and the units were still mostly intact. 

He stepped carefully through the piles of detritus on the ground, broken crockery and smashed glass crunching under his boots. Alec spared a second to be grateful that he had worn thick soled shoes as he continued to grind the fragments into the floor. 

Clearly Magnus wasn’t in this room, but it did lead onto another, so he continued to trek through the mess until he reached a dining room. 

It was creepy inside, heavy curtains twitching softly in the breeze from the broken windows, his torchlight catching gleams of gold from ancient candle sticks left on the table to burnish. 

“Magnus?” he called, barely speaking above a whisper. Too scared to yell out for his friend. 

But there was no reply. No echo, no sound of life at all. Perhaps he was actually alone.

A shiver ran through him. 

He was terrified for Magnus, terrified of what he was going through, but he was even more terrified at the thought that he was alone in this house, that he could wander the entirety of it and never find his friend. 

Suddenly, there was a loud bang, making Alec jump and drop his torch. The room fell into darkness as it went out and the moon vanished behind a cloud. 

Alec froze, fear settling deeper into his soul. A howling filled the room. It was high pitched as though the wind were screaming, but it wasn’t coming from the window. He reached for his cellphone, but it had switched itself off as though the battery were dead.

Behind him, there was a creaking noise before something moved. And then the world went black as a heavy object was slammed against his head. 

\------

On the mattress, Magnus was completely still, trying to hear through the material on his ears for any sound of life. 

He had thought he had heard Alec’s voice for a brief second. But alas, nothing had happened and he had decided he was probably being kept far from Alexander. 

His only hope was that Alec was free and had managed to escape and find his cell phone and call for help. But he wasn’t holding out hope. Whoever had grabbed him had been organised. They had the strips of cloth ready and the rope too and there had been no panic in the way they had pulled him from Alec and dropped him in this smelly room. 

He clenched his fingers then spread them, trying to reach for the rope or anything that might help him get out of this mess, but he couldn’t move. It seemed impossible. He grunted as he lifted his legs up so that his knees were tucked into his tummy, thanking his years of yoga that he could be so flexible. Then he began to rock, moving his body backwards and forwards, trying to get enough momentum to stand up. 

Eventually, he was rocking with enough movement to give it a go, and despite the awkward position of his arms, he could push against the mattress with his hands as he rocked.

Ready to try, Magnus flung himself from the bed, feet finding purchase on the floor and his strong core keeping him upright as he wobbled around. 

With his arms behind his back and his feet tied together, he couldn’t check for objects in front of him so he had to trust his instinct and began to bunny hop towards...well he wasn’t exactly certain what. 

His legs were powerful, but quickly tired as he hopped through the space. It seemed like it was never ending and gave Magnus the impression of some kind of large attic perhaps. He recalled that the house had looked huge from the outside, so maybe that was where he was?

Eventually, he jumped and landed on something soft and a little squishy. It made him think of the mattress he had come from, but through his blind fold, he heard a distinctive groan. 

Of course, he couldn’t speak, but he could throw himself enthusiastically down beside the body on the mattress. The body he was certain was his best friend.  
\-----

Alexander groaned deeply as he started to wake up. His head was throbbing, his muscles ached and something heavy was pressing against his side. 

He tentatively reached out a hand, pressing his fingers against the curve of a body beside him. There was a very muffled sound, almost like a moan so Alec tried desperately to open his eyes and keep them open. It was dark in the room, but the blow to his head had caused him to develop a severe headache and even the motion of opening his eyes was causing him more pain. 

When he couldn’t keep them open, he twisted onto his side, skull pounding at the motion, and reached out to feel what was beside him. 

His fingers touch soft flesh, a neck he thought as he trailed them up to cup a warm jaw. It felt like Magnus. It had to be Magnus!

The sounds continued, vibrations reverberating through Alec’s hand and arm as he moved his fingers over the face, touching a strong nose and hard cheekbones. 

There was something wrapped over their mouth though, so Alec reached his fingers around and untied the knot with trembling fingers. 

Immediately, muffled groans became words. As he did, Alec heard the best sound in the world, Magnus’ voice. 

“Alexander! You found me! Alec, it is you right?”

“Hush Magnus,” he whispered, arms automatically wrapped around his friend, pulling him tightly into his body. His head was still in agony, more so when he spoke, “They hit my head really hard and it hurts. Thank God you’re okay!”

“Oh Alexander,” Magnus said softly, voice full of emotion. “Can you untie me, so I can check you’re okay? I need to see you sweetheart.”

Alec’s fingers shook as he pulled them from Magnus’ back and reached up to fumble at the know of the blindfold over his eyes. It took him several attempts before he was able to slide it from Magnus’ eyes. 

In the dim light, Magnus could finally see his friend, and it didn’t look good. There was a huge gash over his forehead and blood was trickling down his face. He gasped.

“Alec, darling, please, you have to untie my hands now. I need to help you. You’re bleeding.”

Alec could hear Magnus’ words, but he was finding it a little hard to make sense of them. He knew Magnus wanted him to do something, but his head was thumping harder and he just didn’t really get it. 

“Alec, Alec please!” 

Suddenly, warm lips were pressed against his, a soft tongue invading his mouth and sending thrills of pleasure through him. Magnus!

His arms automatically reached out and wrapped around Magnus again, pulling him against his body as moved his mouth over Magnus’. 

Magnus pulled back, glad that kissing Alec had made him focus. He hadn’t exactly expected the enthusiasm of his friend kissing him back, but he was glad that was the reaction instead of a swift punch to his jaw. He would need to unpick the reasons Alec was kissing him later, for now he just needed his friend to focus and untie him. 

“Mmm, you taste so good, Mags…” Alec drawled, leaning back towards Magnus’ mouth. 

“I want to kiss you again darling,” Magnus said softly, “But first, please untie my fingers so I can hold you too.”

Alec seemed to awaken a little at Magnus’ words and his hands, already touching Magnus’ began to mess with the ropes on his wrists. 

It seemed to Magnus that it took an age for Alec to untwist the knot. But in fact it wasn’t long. Despite his injury, Alec was well trained in knots and his muscle memory kicked in, slipping the rope off pretty quickly. 

When it was gone, Magnus intended to remove the ones around his legs, but Alec had other ideas, grabbing Magnus close to kiss his mouth again. 

It was so perfect, that Magnus couldn’t help himself, dragging Alec nearer and plundering his mouth with his tongue. The enthusiastic response meant that he wasn’t worried that Alec’s head injury was the reason he was kissing back, so he decided to enjoy it while they could. 

Eventually, though, he had to pull away, Alec chasing his lips. He needed to get himself properly untied and he needed to see to Alec’s injured head too. 

After pulling the ropes from his legs (Alec’s hands sliding up and down his chest the whole time, which wasn’t unpleasant or unwelcome in the slightest) Magnus tilted Alec’s chin so he could see his wound more clearly. 

His cell phone had vanished when he was pulled away from Alec, and he couldn’t see or feel anything around him, so he would have to work almost blind but for the trickle of light coming in.

“What hurts, Alexander?” he whispered, trying to keep Alec focussed. 

“My head, Magnus. And...and my lips...can you kiss them...kiss them better? I love it...love you.”

In other circumstances, Magnus would be rejoicing. He had loved Alexander for years, ever since he had realised he wasn’t straight in fact, and he adored hearing those words directed at him. But right now, he needed to stay on task. Alec was hurt. 

He quickly grabbed the cloth that Alec had removed from his face, and looped it around Alec’s head, pressing it gently against the wound, even when his best friend flinched and groaned. He tried to distract him with his own words, whispering soft murmurs of love against his neck as he held him.

Magnus knew that head wounds bled excessively and that even though it looked and felt bad, Alec could be perfectly fine. But he wasn’t really acting fine and that scared him a lot. 

When he’d bound Alec’s head, he dropped a soft kiss on his mouth and pulled him against him, holding him close. 

“Oh my love,” he crooned, trying not to jostle him as he rocked him lightly against his body. 

Alec’s arms tightened around him. “Magnus?” he whispered. “Magnus, can I tell you a secret?”

“You can tell me anything darling.”

“I love you. I’ve loved you forever. And I’m gay. I’m definitely gay.”

He spoke confidently, no hesitation behind his words and Magnus’ heart felt light in his chest. 

“Oh my darling. I love you too. I always have and I love you more than anyone in the world. Thank you for telling me.”

He felt Alec snuggle closer to him and pulled him in tighter. 

“Magnus?” the taller man said, “Magnus, I’m scared.”

“Me too, Alexander. But I’m here and we’re together. I’m going to look after you now.”

“Magnus? Magnus? Are you my boyfriend now? Can we go to the dance together?”

“Yes Alexander,” Magnus replied, a hitch in his voice as he imagined them stepping into the dance together, holding hands, “First, we need to move now. We need to find our way out.”

“Okay. And you’ll still do my makeup and make me look pretty for you?”

“I will, my love. I look forward to it.”

Magnus kissed Alec again, sliding his tongue into his mouth as his newly annointed boyfriend pulled him closer. 

After a moment, they pulled back, Alec hissing in pain as his head jerked a little. 

“I’ve got you, come on, I’ll help you up.”

Together they stood from the mattress, wobbling a little as they took their first step, arm in arm. 

“This way?” Magnus asked, as they headed towards a the slip of light where a door must be. 

“Yes. Let’s try. Together.” Alec said, voice a little weak as he leaned heavily against his boyfriend. 

Eventually, they made it across the room and found it was a doorway, the door lolling on its rusted hinges. 

When Magnus pushed against it, it swung open, letting in a flood of soft light. Finally, he could see Alec’s face properly and the red bloodstains on his cheeks.

“Oh, Alexander!” he hissed, fingertips reaching to brush lightly over the path of the blood. “We need to get this cleaned as soon as possible.”

“Kiss me?” his boyfriend asked hopefully. 

Magnus couldn’t resist the light in Alec’s eyes and lifted onto his tiptoes to kiss him gently.

As he did, a figure barrelled out of a door from their left, slamming into Alec and pushing them towards the steps.

They fell as if in slow motion, Magnus wrapping himself around Alec like an octopus around its prey, trying desperately to protect his head from the steps as they tumbled down them. 

It hurt. It wasn’t the worst pain he’d ever felt but it was still damn painful and it felt like it lasted forever. 

When they rolled to a halt at the bottom, he tried to lift himself up, but Alec’s body was pressing him into the hard concrete and he couldn’t really move. 

“Alec? Alec baby? You need to get up now?” Carefully, he slid himself out from under Alec, trying not to jostle him too much. Gently, he rolled him over, terrified of what he was going to see. 

His boyfriend’s eyes were closed, jaw slack, limbs heavy. He looked like he was sleeping.

“Alec? Can you hear me? Alec please!” Magnus wailed, lifting his best friend’s lifeless hand, searching for a pulse. “Alec you can’t leave me! Please don’t leave me! I love you Alexander! Please!”

But Alec didn’t move. Carefully, Magnus pressed his ear to Alec’s chest trying to hear his heart-beat as his eyes filled with tears and they began to soak into Alec’s t-shirt. 

A noise from above him made him lift his head, and then he was staring into a pair of blank, soulless eyes. 

The voice, when it spoke, was grating, “Three minutes. Leave or I kill you. This is my home. You shouldn’t be here.”

Then the figure turned and glided away.

Immediately, Magnus panicked. He needed to get them out of here now!

But Alec still wasn’t responding, so he did the only thing he could, slid Alec’s hands into his own and pulled with all his might. 

He managed to get as far as the door, Alec groaning a little but making no move to help or to get up. But when they were on the precipice, close to their escape, Magnus remembered the metal protruding from the concrete steps. 

He needed to get Alec out, but he could irreparably hurt him in the process. Before he could decide what to do, the scratchy voice spoke again. 

“Time’s nearly up, boy. You have a choice to make. Leave him and save yourself, or stay by his side and die together.”

Magnus lifted his head to meet the man’s glare directly with his own. “I would never leave him!”

“Then you choose to die, correct?” The voice was bland, uncaring as the man took a step towards them. 

“No! I will not leave him and I will not die!” Magnus roared, using his powerful legs to leap to his feet, spinning round and launching an attack on the figure.

But as he flew at the man...he vanished, rematerializing behind him. 

“Ah. A fighter!” The man said, voice alive with mirth now. “You’re the first one to try a flying kick. Makes a nice change. You have spirit boy! I like it! So, I guess I could offer you a deal.”

Magnus stared at him, all his energy gone after the attempted kick and the tumble down the stairs. He sank to the ground, letting his body sink as he tried to regather his strength. “What kind of deal?” He asked, voice as strong as he could make it. 

He couldn’t keep his gaze on the man, it kept wandering over to Alexander, whose torso was rising and falling rapidly as he started to awaken.

“I am lonely.” The man said, walking forward so he was in front of Magnus. “Lonely and growing old. I want companionship. You have spirit, you’re lively, you could make this house quite fun. So, here’s my deal. Come and live here with me, and I’ll let your friend go.”

Magnus recoiled in shock. Live here? Leave Alexander when he had finally confessed his love.

“I see the cogs whirring in your brain, Magnus. Yes I know your name. But your young man won’t be here for long, he’s bound for the army. But he’s far too scared to tell you. So here is my deal. I will let you go tonight if...and only **if** when he leaves, you come to live here with me.”

Magnus’ gaze went once again to Alexander. Now his hand was moving a little too as though reaching out for Magnus. Looking at him and imagining them apart almost broke him. Best friends since age 9 and now finally lovers. Could he do this? Could he give up his freedom to save Alec’s life? Because he was pretty certain that the man would kill them if he said no.

Making his decision, he dashed across the room to grab Alec’s hand. “Yes,” he said, panting a little as he thought of what he was agreeing to. “Yes. I’ll live here with you. But only when Alec is gone.”

The man snapped his fingers. The house vanished. He and Alec were sitting on a green lawn, foundations on the ground where the manor house had stood. 

“That’s weird, Magnus!” Alec said, brushing off his trousers as he stood up, no traces of blood on his face. “I swore there was a house here when we arrived!”

“There was.” Magnus said, voice shaking. “There was a …” but his throat closed up and he couldn’t finish his sentence. 

“What do you mean there was? There can’t have been. It looks like it was knocked down years ago. I guess the stories the seniors all tell are just that, stories!”

Alec turned to head back towards the gates. Gates that were wide open now, no signs of rusty locks. “Come on, I’ll treat you to a milkshake and maybe we can add a bit of Jace’s vodka? What do you think?”

Magnus stared at the remains of the house, wondering if any of the horror he had experienced had been real. He tried to shake off the terror he was still feeling, but as he turned to follow his best friend, cold fingers gripped his shoulder and a voice whispered in his ear, “When he leaves, I’ll come for you. You’re going to be mine, Magnus.”

He shivered. So it was true. Alec was going to leave. And then Magnus would be summoned back here and all hope would be lost.

“Hey Magnus? Come on, don’t be sad! I’m still going to let you do my makeup, you did come with me after all!”

**Author's Note:**

> Never written spooky stories before, this is my first.
> 
> Would really love some feedback from you all!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!
> 
> @ClaireyCookey on Twitter.


End file.
